The present invention relates generally to a system for recovering visual data from a document that has been covered by a security laminate, and then examining the integrity of the document to ensure that no tampering or alteration has occurred to either the document or the visual data contained thereon.
There is a wide variety of different types of documentation that contain information of a very important nature that, by itself, assigns legal title to, or possession of, such a document, or of an article to which that document relates. Examples of such documents are, but not limited to, passports, identity (I.D.) cards, land titles, share titles, etc. Ownership of such items is generally declared by a typed, printed, photographic, or handwritten inclusion on that item, detailing for example the owners name, address, signature, and so on.
Using commonly available technology it is possible to alter such typed, printed, photographed or handwritten details in such a way that the document can then show that ownership of that document, or an article to which that document relates, has, been transferred to a party not legally entitled to that document or article.
The major concern here is that, although the document itself is a legal instrument in that it has not been forged, duplicated or simulated, and therefore this document will pass an appropriate security check, the details contained thereon have been altered and therefore give a false assignment of that legal document.
To impede the successful tampering or alteration of such details it is a known practice to apply a security laminate over the top of such details. Such laminates invariably contain security break indicators that will clearly reveal as to whether that laminate itself is genuine, whether that laminate has been lifted and replaced, whether that laminate""s surface has been penetrated, and whether that laminate surface has been overprinted or overlabelled.
It is a further practice to add areas of printing or patterns which only respond to ultra-violet or infra-red excitation.
To examine a document thus protected with such a laminate or ultra-violet or infra-red markings, a special viewer is employed whereby an examiner or security official can observe the document by means of placing such document in that special viewer and applying differing light sources to reveal both the protected details and the integrity of the protective security laminate. The examination is carried out by an examiner or security official by physically signing the document in question and by making a valued judgment as to its contents and integrity.
There is a growing need to automate this process.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an arrangement that substantially ameliorates the problems alluded to above.
Desirably, a device which can be controlled from computerized control equipment, which views through laminate and transfers an image of the protected details to the computerized control equipment for further processing, such as decoding, and then views the structure of the laminate itself and transfers its details to the computerized control equipment for further processing, such as examining this structure for irregularities, is provided.
Also provided is a hardware device which scans the images in both a xe2x80x9clook throughxe2x80x9d and a xe2x80x9clook atxe2x80x9d mode and transfers corresponding images to an associated processing unit.
Apparatus configured in accordance with the present invention is able to view through the securing laminate to reveal details of the information contained thereunder, and then view the structure of the laminate in such a way as to show the areas on the security laminate which no longer conform to the original manufacturing specification, thus indicating possible forgery, tampering or alteration, and preferably to reveal the presence of other indicators such as may become visible through ultra-violet or infra-red excitation.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is disclosed an arrangement for reading information from a first light transmissive layer and a second layer of an object, said arrangement comprising, in combination:
first light source means for directing (first) light at a first angle of incidence at the object;
second light source means for directing (second) light at a second angle of incidence, different to said first angle of incidence, at the object;
a light receiving device for receiving a reflection of said first light from said first layer, and a reflection of said second light from said second layer and to produce at least one image signal; and
a processing device for processing said image signal to provide information regarding said layers.
Preferably, the first layer comprises a plurality of glass spheres or spheres of material having similar optical properties to glass, referred to herein as microspheres. Alternatively, the first layer comprises a clear material having similar optical properties to polyester.
Preferably, the first light means comprises one or more sources that are directed to said object by first being refracted from a two-way mirror, the light having been reflected by the first layer then returning again through the two-way mirror to the light receiving device. The first light illuminates preferably at multiple different intensities as controlled by the processing device.
Preferably, the processing device is a data processing unit such as a personal computer.
Preferably, the first and second light means are switchable so as to operate alternately or in unison, and of variable intensity. The first and second light means can be of different optical bandwidths. The light source means can also be within the visible spectrum, and/or in the ultra-violet band and/or in the infra-red band. The light produced can be polarized or unpolarized.
Preferably, the light receiving means is a video image receiver such as, for example, a charge coupled device.
Preferably, the first layer is a sheet of plastics material having said spheres of glass or the like applied thereto. Alternatively the first layer can be a sheet of clear or plain polyester or similarly functioning material.
Preferably, said second layer is a document located below the first layer such as for example the page of a passport.
Preferably, the angle of reflection of one light source relative to the position of the video image receiver is less than 1xc2x0. Alternatively, the angle of reflection of one light source relative to the position of the video image receiver is greater than 1xc2x0.
There is a second mode of use whereby a sighting is made directly down a beam of light whereupon the details are no longer seen but are replaced by an image of the physical structure of the laminate surface. Alternatively, in this second mode of operation the details are no longer seen but are replaced by the distorted image of the light source being xe2x80x9cmirroredxe2x80x9d by the surface of the polyester laminate.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a frame into which the document or passport is positioned.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there is provided a multiplicity of light sources wherein some light sources strike the surface of the document and reflect back to the viewing position at an angle greater than 1xc2x0.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention there are provided other light sources that strike the document and reflect back to the viewing position at an angle less than 1xc2x0.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention there is provided means by which these light sources are operated from an attached controlling device such as, but not limited to, a personal computer.
The video imaging device or similar sensory array may be located at the view position and directed towards the surface of the document. Images detected by this device are provided with a means whereby said images can be passed onto an attached controlling device such as, but not limited to, a personal computer.